A Quick Guide to The Whiskey Reserve

Just up the road from The Temple Bar Pub you’ll find The Whiskey Reserve, a very special place on a dedicated mission to introduce as many people as possible to the rich and varied world of whiskey. Owner and curator Tom Cleary opened The Whiskey Reserve in 2021, sharing his passion and
extraordinary whiskey knowledge and collection with anyone who cared to hear and see it. Inside The Whiskey Reserve are over two thousand rare and distinctive whiskeys, from Ireland and way beyond.

Here then, is a quick intro to this exclusive venue which is both shop and tasting room.

Shopping for Whiskey

The Whiskey Reserve is the largest single collection of whiskey anywhere in the world. If you can’t find it here, we don’t know where you will.

Irish Whiskey

Irish Whiskey is a world-great, often triple distilled and with single malts as well as blended versions. There are 136 whiskeys to choose from (at the time of writing) including The Temple Bar Signature Blend, the renowned Redbreast whiskeys, Jameson, Midleton whiskeys including Very Rare, Bushmills and Roe and Co. It sometimes feels like there’s a distillery on every street in Ireland, and The Whiskey Reserve has the most comprehensive collection of the very best.

Scoth Whiskey

A wide selection of celebrated Scotch whiskeys including Johnnie Walker, Ardbeg, Dalmore, Shackleton and Glenmorangie. There are also special limited edition whiskeys, so if you’re after something unique and rare to complement your personal whiskey collection, you’ll be wanting to see what’s currently available in the shop.

JAPANESE Whiskey

Japanese whiskeys are gaining traction around the world, and The Whiskey Reserve has a fine selection, including bottles from Nikka (established in 1934) and Suntory (established in 1899) distilleries. There’s a great selection of blended and pure malt whiskeys for you to browse, with knowledgeable staff to help and advise if you’re not sure which to go for.

Bourbon

If you like an oaky, more caramel kind of flavour, maybe bourbon is to your taste. It differs from other whiskeys because it’s made with 51% corn. Among the special bourbons at The Whiskey Reserve are Widow Jane and Blanton’s but there are lots of others too that are considered among the best bourbons in the world.

Tasting Whiskey

If you fancy sampling a whiskey you’ve not tried before, you can book a private and personalised 35-minute whiskey-tasting experience for up to 10 people. The Whiskey Reserve offers a couple of different themes or focuses to choose from:

A Taste of Ireland will take you on a flavourful tour of Ireland, introducing you to four different types of Irish whiskeys: Blended, Grain, Single Malt and Potstill. For anyone new to whiskey tasting, you’ll be shown how to appreciate and differentiate the unique taste profiles of each, with an experienced guide who’ll lead you through the traditions and history of whiskey making and the various production methods.

Redbreast Single Cask Collection Tasting is a personalised whiskey tasting experience that you tailor to your own preferences. You choose three different bottles from the 26 in the Redbreast collection, and if you don’t know quite where to start, expert guides will help you curate a varied introduction to the special and complex character of Redbreast whiskeys. Owned by Irish Distillers (who also produce Jameson whiskey) since the 1980s, Redbreast is considered the definitive expression of Single Pot Still Irish whiskey.

Whether you’re already a whiskey connoisseur or you just want to find out what the buzz is about, The Whiskey Reserve is sure to have what you’re looking for. You can book a tasting or just browse and select from the collection. They’re open every day.